ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY70 Years Ago Today In 1942 - Conductor Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (Monty Kelly, Larry Neil, and Don Waddilove on trumpet; Skip Layton and Murray McEachern on trombone; Alvy West, Danny d'Andrea, Lenny Hartman, King Guion, and Tommy Mace on saxophone; Harry Azen, Sol Blumenthal, and David Newman on strings; Buddy Weed on piano; Mike Pingitore on guitar; Art Shapiro on bass; and Willie Rodriguez on drums) using arrangements by Jimmy Mundy, record the titles "Travlin' Light" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Jimmy Mundy and Trummy Young) with vocals by Lady Day (Billie Holiday, who was under contract to Decca, thus the alias), "The Old Music Master" (lyrics by Mercer, music by Hoagy Carmichael, which will be included in Paramount Picture's motion picture "True To Life", released December 24, 1943, and sung by Dick Powell) with vocals by Johnny Mercer and Jack Teagarden, "I'm Old Fashioned" (lyrics by Mercer, music by Jerome Kern, which will be used in the 1942 Columbia Pictures motion picture "You Were Never Lovelier", released November 19, 1942, where it is sung by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth) with vocals by Martha Tilton, and "You Were Never Lovelier" (also by Mercer and Kern for the motion picture of the same name and where it will be sung by Fred Astaire) with vocals by Larry Neil, at Radio Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California with Mercer producing all the titles. Capitol Records will issue the first and last titles together as a single (Capitol 116), the second title as a single (Capitol 137) with "Waitin' For The Evenin' Mail" (recorded July 31, 1942) on the flipside, and the third title on the CD "Paul Whiteman - The Complete Capitol Recordings" (8-30103-2).1944 - "Hi, ever'body, hope you feel tip-top; welcome to the Chesterfield Music Shop". Johnny Mercer's "Chesterfield Music Shop" airs it's first 15 minute episode live at 5PM for the east coast and again live at 8PM for the west coast. The series will broadcast from NBC's studio at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood twice daily, Mondays through Thursdays and on Fridays from various military camps and hospitals around Southern California until December 8, 1944 with many of it's episodes recorded for the Armed Forces Radio Services. The show features Mercer, Jo Stafford, Paul Weston and His Orchestra, The Pied Pipers, whose version of Mercer's "Dream" is the show's closing theme song. The show would help the careers of all including songwriters Ray Evans and Jay Livingston as well as one of the show's arrangers, Gil Evans.1947 - Sonny Terry (on vocals and harmonica, with Walter "Brownie" McGhee on guitar and Melvin "Daddy" Merritt on piano) records the tracks "Harmonica Rag" (which will be released by Capitol as a single with "Early Morning Blues" on the flip side), "Screamin' And Cryin' Blues" (which will be released as a single on the Capitol Americana label with "Riff And Harmonica Jump" on the flip side), "Beer Garden Blues" (which will be released as a single on the Capitol American label with "Riff And Harmonica Jump" on the flip side), and "Worried Man Blues" (which will be released as a single on the Capitol American label with "Leavin' Blues" on the flip side) with producer David Edwin Dexter, Jr. in New York City, New York on a Thursday.1948 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Pied Pipers' Capitol Records single "My Happiness" is #8, The Sportsmen's a capella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True, Dear" is #17, Peggy Lee's Capitol Records single "Mañana" is #19, and The Sportsmen's Capitol Records single "Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)" enters the top 20 at #201954 - Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "If You Love Me (Really Love Me) is # 6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Young At Heart" is #7, Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs (the flip side of "If You Love Me" and also with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney) is #8, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In A Fountain" is #9, The Four Knights' Capitol Records single "I Get So Lonely (When I Dream About You)" (with "I Couln't Stay Away From You" on the flip side) is #10, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Answer Me, My Love" is #111958 - Ann Richards (aka Mrs. Stan Kenton, on vocals), with Brian Farnon conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted) using arrangements by Warren Barker, records a re-recoding of "Nightingale" and the tracks "Will You Still Be Mine?", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and "Deep Night", with producer Lee Gillette in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Richards' Capitol Records debut solo album "I'm Shooting High" (T 1087).1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart1963 - The Beach Boys record the track "Surfer Girl" at Western Studios in Los Angeles, California. This is the first recording where Brian Wilson gets official credit as producer.1966 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Take Good Care Of Her", with "On The Fingers Of One Hand" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts40 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Apple Records releases John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with Elephant's Memory's album "Sometime In New York City", produced by Phil Spector, with Capitol Records distributing the album in the United States1976 - Ringo Starr is in the Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, California recording the tracks "A Dose Of Rock 'n' Roll" and "Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love)" for his Capitol Records album "Ringo's Rotogravure". John Lennon (who wrote "Cookin'...") plays piano on the two tracks and will stay out of recording studios for the next 4 years until he begins work on his and Yoko's album "Double Fanatsy" in 1980.1995 - The Capitol Records/Nettwerk band Skinny Puppy split up2003 - Billboard Magazine reports that Grammy winner Shelby Lynne has signed with Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY1953 - Rocky Burnette, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and son of Liberty Records artist Johnny Burnette, is born in Memphis, Tennessee55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Jimmy Dorsey (born James Dorsey), clarinetist, alto saxophonist, motion picutre actor, televison variety show host with his brother Tommy Dorsey, and big band leader (one of his girl singers included 14 year old future Capitol Records artist Ella Mae Morse, whom he let go when he found out her true age, and his band included future Capitol Records artist and pianist Freddie Slack, who would remember Morse and suggest her as the vocalist for his Capitol Records single "Cow Cow Boogie"), dies of cancer at age 53 in New York City, New York1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and it's flip side "Hello Mary Lou" is #15, Gene McDaniels' Liberty Records single "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" is #19, The Fleetwood's Dolton Records (distributed by Liberty Records) single "Tragedy" is #20, Ernie K-Doe's Minit Records single "Mother-In-Law" is #22, and Don Costa and His Orchestra and Chorus' United Artists Records single "Never On A Sunday" is #37. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Imperial, Liberty, Dolton, Minit and United Artists Records catalogs1963 - Sarah Vaughan begins sessions for her Roulette Records album "Lonely Hours" when she records, with arranger Benny Carter conducting the studio orchestra (Vince De Rosa, Dick Perissi, Jack Cave, and Bill Hinshaw on french horn; Red Callender on tuba; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Barney Kessel on guitar; Joe Comfort on bass; and Alvin Stoller on drums), the tracks "If I Had You", "What'll I Do", "You're Driving Me Crazy", and "Always On My Mind" at United Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California1964 - The Beatles fly from Sydney, Australia to perform two sets at Centennial Hall, in Adelaide, Australia with Sounds Incorporated, Johnny Devlin, Johnny Chester and The Phantoms, and have a private party in their hotel suite after the show1965 - George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr) are appointed Members of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II1965 - Capitol Records artist Tex Ritter joins The Grand Ole Opry1976 - The King Biscuit Flour Hour broadcasts Capitol Records group The Steve Miller Band in concert at The Beacon Theater in New York City for broadcast. The performance is at the beginning of the "Fly Like An Eagle" tour and will later show up on the CD "The King Biscuit Flour Hour Presents The Steve Miller Band", released in 2003.25 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Dan Seals' EMI America single "I Will Be There", with "It's Gonna Be Easy Now" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY1909 - Archie Bleyer, arranger, band leader (1934 - whose vocalists would include Johnny Mercer), musical director for Arthur Godfrey, record producer, and founder of Cadence Records (1952 - whose roster included Julias LaRosa, The Chordettes, Andy Williams and the Everly brothers), is born in the Corona section of Queens, New York1938 - At her first commercial recording session, Fourteen year-old future Capitol Records artist Judy Garland, with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (who would also later record for Capitol Records), records the tracks "Stompin' At The Savoy" and "Swing Mr. Charlie" for Decca Records in New York City1953 - Chet Baker (trumpet) and Stan Getz (tenor sax) perform together with Carson Smith (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums) live at the Haig in Los Angeles, California. This is one of the few times the two would perform together and the show was recorded by engineer Dick Bock.50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Frank Sinatra begins the first of a three day (actually night) series of recording sessions arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon at CTS Bayswater studios in London, England for the album "Great Songs From Great Britain" by recording the track "If I Had You". According to Mark Blackburn's review of the track when it appeared on the later album "Everything Happens To Me", the first take was ruined when there was a problem with Bill Miller's piano so that the second take had to be done with Miller playing a celeste.2001 - The final episode of Bozo The Clown is taped in Chicago, Illinois and will be aired on WGN-TV on July 14, 2001

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This blog contains information, that I gather daily, about the history of Capitol Records, related labels, The Capitol Records Tower, and other pop culture events and anniversaries.
Please contact me if you have any corrections, comments and/or facts you'd like to share.
To see some great photos of the opening of The Capitol Tower and to get a quick overview of Capitol's early history check out the archive for April 2006.

THE MELLOWAIRES?

I'm trying to track down who was in this group. They sang backup for Martha Tilton and Johnny Mercer at Capitol's first session on April 6, 1942 and at other sessions up until July 31, 1942, (the day before the recording ban went into effect) when the backed Freddie Slack and His Orchestra, Ella Mae Morse, Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting.Every listing for them just gives the group's name and, so far, none of the curators at the libraries that house the papers of Johnny Mercer, Dave Dexter, Jr., Jo Stafford and Paul Weston's collections, who really went all out to search, have been able to track down the group's roster.The Mellowaires also made two three minute "soundies" in 1942, "Cocktails For Two" with Bob Hughes and "LullabyIn Swing" on their own, copies of which are in the UCLA Film and Television Archives.Any help identifying anyone in this group would be much appreciated.